COURT FIXES NOVEMBER 20 TO RULE ON ATIKU’S BID TO AMEND SUIT CHALLENGING TINUBU’S 2027 ELIGIBILITY

By NaijaParrot October 13, 2026 

 ABUJA, NIGERIA —

 The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 20, 2026, to deliver its ruling on an application by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) seeking permission to amend their suit challenging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s eligibility to participate in the 2027 presidential election. Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed the date on Tuesday after hearing arguments from lawyers representing Atiku and the ADC, President Tinubu, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The ruling will determine whether the plaintiffs can amend their court documents before the substantive case proceeds. 

 Atiku and the ADC instituted the suit in August 2026, asking the court to disqualify Tinubu and the APC from participating in the 2027 presidential election. Their case includes allegations concerning the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate submitted to INEC in connection with Tinubu’s candidacy. The plaintiffs allege that a forged certificate was submitted to the electoral commission and want the court to order INEC to remove Tinubu and the APC from the list of candidates and political parties for the election. These remain allegations before the court, not established findings. In their application, Atiku and the ADC said they wanted to correct errors in their original court documents, provide clearer copies of exhibits and set out their allegations in greater detail. They also sought to correct the description of an INEC nomination form, which they said had been incorrectly identified in their original filing. Their lawyer, Joseph Silas, urged the court to grant the application, arguing that the proposed changes were necessary to present their case properly.

President Tinubu’s lawyer, Wole Olanipekun, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), urged the court to reject the request. He argued that the proposed changes went beyond correcting errors and would effectively introduce a new case after the legally prescribed period for filing the action had expired. The APC’s lawyer, Akin Olujinmi, and INEC’s counsel, Alex Izinyon, also opposed the application, asking the court to dismiss it. The defendants have separately challenged the competence of the substantive suit, raising legal objections that include whether the plaintiffs have the standing to bring the action and whether it was filed within the prescribed time.  

Tinubu and the APC have denied submitting a forged certificate to INEC for either the 2023 or 2027 presidential elections. In their court filings, they argued that the NYSC had not denied issuing Tinubu’s discharge certificate and maintained that the plaintiffs had not established the basis for their allegations. INEC has also challenged the suit on procedural and legal grounds. 

 The court’s ruling on November 20 will address whether Atiku and the ADC can amend their court documents. It will not, by itself, determine whether Tinubu is eligible to contest the 2027 presidential election or resolve the underlying allegations concerning the certificate. The substantive case and the defendants’ objections remain separate issues for the court to consider. The proceedings are attracting political attention as preparations intensify ahead of the 2027 general election.  

NaijaParrot — Hear It First, Hear It True!